


Sanctuary

by MonPetitTresor



Series: The Fledgling [3]
Category: Criminal Minds, Supernatural
Genre: Angelic Grace, Enemies to Friends, Fledglings, Friendship, Grace training, Nephilim, Recovery, Trust Issues, trust building
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-12
Updated: 2016-01-15
Packaged: 2018-05-13 11:48:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5706541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MonPetitTresor/pseuds/MonPetitTresor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Spencer wakes up in a strange beach house with his rescuer and finally starts to get some answers - and maybe some peace</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

It’d been a long time since the archangel Gabriel had felt rage like this. The last time he could remember being this angry was the day his children had been cast out. The rage he’d felt then had almost leveled some parts of Asgard before he’d managed to get his archangel side under control. His whole cover had almost been blown that day. It was the last time he could remember feeling this absolutely furious.

Right up until he’d discreetly poked his head around to check on his two favorite chuckleheads.

He’d gone there thinking that he’d just check in on them as he’d done many times since he’d first met the two. They fascinated him; Sam especially so. For someone who had been dicked around by Heaven and Hell for longer than he even knew, the kid still had so much damn _faith_. It was amazing and sometimes just a bit humbling. Sam had messed up quite a lot in his life; he’d been pushed there, of course, nudged down a road he hadn’t understood. But he still somehow held on to his faith that things would be okay. That somehow they would find a solution to this and make it better. He was full of self-loathing and guilt, but he was fighting. Gabriel had to respect that. Sometimes he’d admit to himself that he respected Dean a little bit too. The Righteous Man had been pushed hard as well and, despite a few dickhead moments, he was doing his damndest to win this thing. He was fighting.

Gabriel was seriously rethinking his respect for either Winchester right now.

With the knowledge he had of them, it hadn’t been hard to track them down to Singer’s Salvage. The wards there were good—just not good enough. Not for a Trickster who was used to getting around things.

When he slipped inside, he’d figured on checking on the boys, maybe poking at Sam to make sure that Lucifer wasn’t haunting the sasquatch’s sleep too much, and that would be that. His curiosity would be satisfied and maybe he could quit thinking about the two idiots and go back to his own tricks. What he found had been so much more.

Somehow Gabriel managed to hold on to his calm as he looked at the fledgling in his bed. This…he’d never expected this.

Once he’d seen the half-starved, broken fledgling curled up on the floor in that room, there hadn’t been any real choice there. Gabriel had always loved helping out with the fledglings upstairs. He’d spent plenty of time helping to care for them, to teach them and play with them. Children were always a soft spot of his. Seeing this one in such condition was almost enough to make him break his cover and show those idiots just what happens when you truly piss off an archangel.

A rational part of his mind told him that they probably didn’t even realize what they’d had there. Much as he kept using terms like ‘kid’ and ‘fledgling’ in his head, by human standards the little one was a full grown adult male. The hint of a soul inside of him said that he wasn’t a full blooded angel—but the amount of grace said that he wasn’t human, and he wasn’t a nephilim. Gabriel knew nephilim intimately. Better than any of his brothers or sisters. Nephilim were powerful, yes, dangerously so, but they were an almost perfect half and half of human and angel.

This kid…Gabriel would put him at about eighty-five, almost ninety percent angel. Only once before had Gabriel ever seen something like this. It’d been when two angels had mated while both in vessels. Their combined grace, but the souls and bodies of the vessels, had made something that was more than nephilim, less than angel.

But that one, and other nephilim, had all had their powers from birth. This one? If Gabriel hadn’t been able to see his physical body, he would’ve put him at, at most, eight months old. How was it that his grace was so young—young enough that his wings hadn’t even really grown in yet!—and yet he had a physical body that looked to be in its twenties?

That was just one of many questions that Gabriel had. He could’ve reached out and looked into the little fledgling’s mind and sought out answers that way but the way the kid had reacted to the touch of his grace before told him that that might not be a good idea. He’d pulled back from Gabriel’s grace like it was going to burn him. That right there was even more devastating than the physical condition the kid had been in. Fledglings usually sought out the grace of other angels. Up in Heaven where they weren’t confined by vessels, their true forms took on a shape but they were still made entirely of grace, and that was what they touched with. Gabriel had spent many a time sitting with the little ones crawling all over him, spilling into his lap or curling up underneath his wings. He remembered Castiel, the little Thursday’s angel whose presence he’d felt all over Singer’s house. He’d used to love to press right up against Gabriel’s side, curled towards his back, and watch his wings for hours.

The questions just kept piling up the longer that he watched the kid sleep. None of them were going to get answered until he was awake and ready to talk. In the meantime, Gabriel needed to take advantage of him sleeping to go and double check his little sanctuary here and make sure there was nothing that he could stumble across that might hurt him, and he needed to adjust the wards to keep them sheltered here.

As he left the room he very deliberately avoided thinking about the fact that he’d just revealed his true self to someone for the first time since he’d left Heaven all those years ago. If he had his way he’d just ignore that part completely. He hadn’t thought about the ramifications when he’d done it and it was too late to take it back now.

All he could do now was deal with the fallout. He’d been hiding himself for a long, long time. It wouldn’t take much to help hide the kid as well.

* * *

When Spencer woke up, for the first time in too long it wasn’t to a sensation of pain or fear or any of those things that had carved at his insides these past days. He woke to warmth and softness with his light glowing happily inside of him. For one brief moment he kept his eyes closed and just basked in the sensation of once more being whole. Complete. He flexed his light a bit and then relaxed and let it seep through every inch of his body. It chased away any residual ache inside, healing him from the inside out, and it was wonderful. Spencer wanted to burrow down into it and never leave.

Who knows how long he might’ve sat there just relishing in the feel if a voice hadn’t broken his thoughts and intruded on his little moment of peace. “Well aren’t you just a bright little glow bug.”

The light inside of Spencer flared warm and happy at the sound of that voice and the feeling of warmth that accompanied it. The rest of Spencer wasn’t so easy. His eyes snapped open and, finding a man standing not two feet from the edge of this massive bed he was lying on—when on earth had he gotten here??—and he immediately started to scramble back. The blankets tangled around his legs and Spencer's panicked scrambling only made it worse. The man lifted a hand like he was going to reach for him and Spencer jerked back even faster, the tangled blankets tripping him and sending him tumbling right off the edge of the bed.

He hit the ground with a hard thunk that jarred through him. He didn’t care. Spencer shoved at the blankets and scrambled back even more. “Get back!”

There was a hint of concern in the guy’s eyes as he drew back and held his hands up peacefully. But there was also humor there, showing brightly in unique amber eyes and in the small smirk on his lips. “Peace, kiddo. I’m not gonna hurt you.” That smirk grew just the slightest bit. “You seem to be doing a pretty good job of that all on your own.”

“Who are you?” Spencer croaked out. His throat was sore, a byproduct of not having really drank anything lately, but it was clear enough to get the words out. Bracing his hand on the wall, he carefully pulled himself up to his feet, watching the guy across from him while at the same time trying to scan the room in hopes of finding an exit if he needed to run. His brain logged little details, such as the giant bed or the opulence of his room, but mostly he noted that there were only two doors—one behind this guy and one off to the left. Neither of which he’d have a hope of getting two before the guy stopped him. There were windows here as well, both near Spencer and a giant skylight up in the ceiling, but he somehow doubted he’d be able to get out a window quick enough.

If the guy noticed his perusal, he didn’t comment on it. Instead, he asked, “You don’t remember?”

He stared at the guy who was just standing there, hands hooked into his pockets, and he tried to keep himself calm. Who was this guy? There was a vague memory of seeing him before, of him coming into Spencer's little prison and talking to him. Asking him questions, maybe? It sort of blurred together. The place that Spencer had been in, mentally, hadn’t been that great. He just…hadn’t cared enough to notice much in the way of details. He definitely hadn’t cared enough to ask who this guy was or where he was taking him. Taking him…he had li— _grace_. Spencer had felt it. This guy had _grace_. That meant he was a…an angel. But which one? And what did he want with Spencer?

Leaning a little more against the wall, Spencer stared over at the shorter man, trying to understand. “You took me out of there.”

The guy grinned. “Yep.”

“Why?” Spencer couldn’t stop the word slipping free. “What do you want from me?” So far, everyone had wanted _something_ from him.

“For you to be safe.”

He thought of a similar promise from a different group and a different angel. He remembered the burn of grace as Castiel put whatever protective sigils on Spencer's ribs, and then the betrayal as that same grace had turned on him and knocked him unconscious. That sharp reminder had Spencer shifting back ever so slightly. No matter how much his light seemed to want to reach out to this being, there was no way Spencer was going to be that stupid again.

The guy watching him let out a low whistle. “Boy, they really screwed up with you, didn’t they, little bird?” He shook his head and his expression was almost sad. “We’ll get into that later. For now, you need to eat. You’re still partially human—you need things like food and water.” Sharp amber eyes ran over Spencer's body and back up to his face. “You’re practically wasting away. Didn’t they feed you there?”

Without making the conscious choice to actually answer this guy, Spencer found himself saying “I didn’t eat.” He could remember trays of food being brought in and later on being taken away. He hadn’t touched them after that first one.

“Why not?” The guy asked, looking bewildered.

Spencer debated the merits of actually answering that honestly or not. He knew it was smart to play his cards close to the chest and try and probe for what kind of information this guy had and what his real motives were for taking Spencer. But at the same time, he had to give him something, and answering might allow him to better gauge his captor. Tilting his head, he watched through the fringe of his bangs, eyes sharp as they took in everything. “Why would I? I’m pretty sure they were drugging me somehow. Why would I make it easy?”

“You think they were drugging you?” The incredulity in the being’s voice had Spencer biting his tongue. Instead, he settled for shrugging one shoulder. It had seemed the most logical answer for why his head had felt the way it had. Spencer was rather intimate with the feeling of being drugged. What he’d felt was pretty similar to when he’d had a little too much. Tired, fuzzy headed, slow. Only, the guy watching him now looked so saddened and so horrified by Spencer's answer. It looked like he was having a hard time not moving towards him. Instead, he settled for just leaning forward a bit, his expression earnest as his eyes locked on Spencer's face. “Kiddo, what you felt wasn’t drugs, I swear. I would’ve felt that in you when I brought you here. What you felt was your body’s physical reaction to the wards on the room. Some of those wards in that room were keyed to angels. They’re meant to keep them out. When you went in, it basically ripped away your angel self and left it trapped outside that room. Only, since it’s a part of you and tied to your soul, it wasn’t completely _gone_. Just, held back.”

That explained the empty feeling he’d felt. Curiosity overrode caution and Spencer tilted his head to the side curiously. “How’d you get in and out, then?”

The guy’s smile changed into something that was more of a smug smirk. “They keyed it to angels, little bird. Not archangels.” He paused, like he hadn’t just dropped some huge bombshell, and corrected himself. “At least, not all of us. Sigils to keep out an archangel are much more powerful and much more specific. They were warded against my brothers—they didn’t know they needed to ward against me.” Shrugging, he grinned again. “Benefits of everyone thinking I’m dead I guess.”

There was so much about that that Spencer wanted to comment on. All that came out was, “ _Archangel_?”

“Sometimes. Not often anymore.” He shrugged, grin still in place. With exaggerated movements, he gave a parody of a bow, and the air around him seemed to shimmer as a shield of some sort fell away. Spencer's mouth dropped open in awe as wings that hadn’t been there before became visible against his back. Not just one pair, like Castiel had had, but three pairs—six great big wings of white and gold that were bigger and more beautiful than anything Spencer had ever seen before. “The archangel Gabriel at your service, squirt.” He winked at Spencer as he straightened back up. “I go by Loki these days, though. Not many know my other name. Just my kids. And, well, you now.”

“Why?” Spencer asked before he could stop himself. His eyes were still on Gabriel’s wings, not quite able to lose his awe over them. Whereas Castiel’s wings had scared him a little, the threat in them so blatantly obvious, Gabriel’s were so beautiful he almost couldn’t look away.

“Gotta be a little clearer there, little sparrow. Why what?”

Spencer chose to ignore yet another bird nickname. Information had always been something he lived on and this being was just offering it up to him. The insatiable need to know that always resided in Spencer had his mouth running despite the voice in his head that told him that maybe demanding answers of an _archangel_ wasn’t the best idea. “Why doesn’t anyone know you’re Gabriel? Why Loki? Why do people think you’re dead? And why tell me?”

This time Gabriel’s smile was much warmer and much more open. There was a quality to it that Spencer remembered seeing on the faces of his friends a time or two when he really got on a roll with questions and fact-finding. What it was, he wasn’t sure, but it made his grace hum happily inside of him. “That’s a lot of questions.” Gabriel pointed out. “Tell you what – I’ll answer em, if you come eat.”

The low rumble of Spencer's stomach answered for him. Gabriel grinned when he heard the sound. Ignoring the blush that filled Spencer's cheek, he gestured with one hand for the young genius to follow him. “Come on, let’s go out to the kitchen.”

Was there really any choice? Spencer needed answers and he wouldn’t get them hiding out in this room. Besides which, he’d been cooped up for so long the idea of walking anywhere felt immensely appealing. And it would allow him to look around and figure out where he was, too. With that in mind, Spencer pushed away from the wall and carefully set off after his newest captor.

They wandered out of the bedroom and down a hallway before Gabriel led them down a staircase. When they got to the bottom Spencer couldn’t help how he stared around him in awe. The place had a wide open floor plan with plenty of windows to let in the natural light and show off the trees to one side and the wide, sandy beaches on the other. The place was done in warm woods and easy, beach-themed colors. This place, it was beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. Even more stunning than the home itself was the wide open view of the beach and the ocean, though. Spencer had loved the ocean ever since he’d first seen it when he went to California. This place…this was beautiful. There were no tourists out on the beach, no other houses or anything that Spencer could se. Just sand and the bright blue water.

He didn’t notice Gabriel standing nearby, watching him fondly as he took in everything around him. A hint of Spencer's awe showed in his voice as he turned his gaze back in from the windows and asked “Where are we?”

“A private island of mine not far out from the Bahamas.” Gabriel answered.

A private island? But how had they…they’d flown. Like how Castiel had taken him from Vegas to wherever he’d been in that basement. They’d flown. That explained the weird sensation that Spencer remembered feeling before Gabriel had laid him down in the bed. Then the rest of Gabriel’s comment kicked in and Spencer's brain easily filled in the blanks there. No…no way. Slowly, he turned to look at Gabriel, hesitant to ask his question and come off looking like a fool if he was wrong. There was something on Gabriel’s face that gave him the courage to ask “Are we…in the Bermuda triangle?”

“Yep.” Gabriel drew the word out, popping the ‘p’ at the end. At Spencer's stunned look, he grinned. “Keeps people away.”

“I don’t even know how to begin to address that.”

“We start with breakfast. Have a seat.”

This was all too surreal. Spencer found himself sitting at a tall bar in the kitchen with Gabriel sitting just a few stools down from him. It took all he had not to jump back when a snap from Gabriel brought a platter of food onto the bar. “Eat.” The archangel told him. He saw Spencer's nerves and smiled encouragingly. “There’s nothing in it. Eat, kiddo.”

Spencer debated for a long moment as he looked down at the food. So far, this guy, angel, hadn’t hurt him. If anything, he’d _saved_ him. That didn’t mean that Spencer could or would trust him. It did, however, mean that maybe he could unbend enough to take the food being offered. Besides, starving himself would do nothing in the end except make him weaker. He’d been without food or water too much these past couple days. He needed energy. Whether he liked it or not, he had to eat something. The way that Gabriel beamed at him as he picked up the fork and speared a bit of fruit had nothing at all to do with his choice.

Only when he’d seen the first bite go into Spencer's mouth did Gabriel finally nod and settle down in his chair. Now that he was sure Spencer was actually eating, he seemed ready to answer Spencer's questions. Something told Spencer that he wasn’t happy about having to answer them, though.

Years of working at the BAU and plenty of training had helped Spencer become quite adept at reading body language but the being across from him seemed to have a great amount of control over his body. There wasn’t much physical that gave away his discomfort. No, it was something else entirely that gave him away. It was the way that his wings were moving behind him. They’d sort of drawn in, hunched ever so slightly kind of like a person hunching their shoulders when they were uncomfortable or unhappy with a subject. Were wings that good a guide to emotions as bodies were? Spencer decided it was worth keeping an eye on and he logged that little bit of information away in the back of his mind. The rest of him just focused on Gabriel and waited.

It only took a second before the archangel sighed. A corner of his mouth quirked up like he was trying to pull on that amused expression that Spencer had seen him wearing earlier. “My story really isn’t long or big or anything like that. Before my brother was cast out, the fighting upstairs was pretty bad. By the time Mikey threw him out and locked him in the Cage, well, let’s just say Heaven wasn’t exactly Heaven anymore.”

He said it so casually, like he was trying to pretend it didn’t hurt, but his wings curled in a little and they dropped down just the slightest bit. Worry? Pain? Sadness? Spencer tried to classify what he thought those things might signify.

Gabriel shrugged his shoulder and leaned back in his chair. He pulled a sucker from his pocket and unwrapped it before popping it in his mouth. The stick stuck out off to the side as the archangel grinned around it. “I got tired of the fighting, so I left. Skipped out of Heaven, got a face transplant, and I carved out my own little corner of the world. I became Loki. Kind of the perfect hiding place. There was no way my family was gonna look for me with the pagans.”

Considering what Spencer knew from the Winchesters—and his mind still boggled over the idea of the _Apocalypse_ even though he’d had days now to get used to it—he supposed he could understand what had made Gabriel run and hide. To become Loki, though…that was quite a change, even if hiding in the pagans _was_ a smart place to go. Spencer could understand how he could consider it perfect. Why would angels think to look in the pagans? But, that brought up so many new questions. Had he just taken the place of Loki? Had he invented him? How did that work?

A warm laugh broke into Spencer's thoughts. He looked up to find Gabriel watching him with that same strange, happy look he’d worn most of the morning. There was something in it that Spencer didn’t quite understand. “I can practically see the thoughts racing around in your head there, fledgling.”

“Why do you keep calling me that?” Spencer asked, spearing another bit of food and chewing on it.

“Because that’s what you are. And, you know, you still haven’t exactly told me your name.”

Spencer chewed his bite slowly and waited until he swallowed before he spoke. He avoided the name bit, ridiculous though that may seem. “The other angel, he said I’m a nephilim.” He’d said it like it was something filthy, too. Like it was something Spencer should be ashamed of. Unconsciously, the young genius hunched down a little, his shoulders curving in.

The way he drew in on himself didn’t go unnoticed by his companion. The light in Gabriel’s eyes sharpened a little and his wings pushed out behind him and shook out in a way that made Spencer think of an animal bristling up in some sort of angry display. “He’s an idiot who doesn’t know what he’s talking about.” Gabriel snapped. Then, with visible restraint, he drew his wings back in and sighed before shaking his head. The tension seemed to drain out of him. “Then again, he doesn’t know any better. Cassie boy was one of the last fledglings Dad ever made, and he never encountered any nephilim. He wouldn’t know the difference between them and you.”

Spencer chewed on his bottom lip watched Gabriel’s face carefully. “There’s a difference?”

“Yeah. I can see how he got confused. You’ve got a soul in there, kiddo, don’t doubt that. But you’ve got too much grace to be nephilim. Way too much. You’re, more than a nephilim, but not quite an angel. You’re something kind of new. There’s only been one like you before and only the Firstborn would recognize you for what you are.”

So, even among angels he was something of a freak. Not human, not nephilim, not angel. He was different than everyone else—the same as he’d always been. Spencer's shoulders drooped and he dropped his eyes down to his plate. He pushed absently at his food with his fork and tried not to think about how unfair it all was. Was he just destined to always be the different one? To always be stuck not fitting in anywhere? Not at home, not at school, not at work. Always trying so damn hard to fit in and always falling short of the mark. Sometimes it felt like he’d get so close and then he’d say or do something that would mark him as _different,_ as _not like them_.

Laying his fork carefully down on his plate, Spencer deliberately kept his eyes averted from the being across from him as he softly said “I’d like to go lay down for a while, if that’s all right. I’m tired.”

There was a long moment of quiet during which he didn’t dare look up. Finally, he heard a soft sound that might’ve been a sigh, or it might’ve been just the whisper of the wind. “Sure, kiddo. I’m sure this is a lot to take in and you’re still kind of recovering anyways. You remember your way to the bedroom?”

“Yes.” Even as he pushed up from his chair, manners had Spencer saying “Thank you for the meal.”

“You’re welcome.”

The room he left behind was silent.

* * *

Gabriel watched the kid go and wished with everything he had that he could reach out and grab the little fledgling and gather him up with arms and wings and grace and hold him close and safe until all those broken little parts started to heal together. At the same time he wanted to fly out and find anyone and everyone who was responsible for damaging him like this. If he could get his hands on them, he’d teach them a lesson they wouldn’t soon forget.

The Trickster part of him reminded him that he did know a few of the ones who had done some of the damage he’d just seen on the young one.

His lips curved up in a smile that was slow and devious. He’d already been contemplating putting together a little trick for that bunch. Maybe it was time to adapt his plans a little and teach them a different sort of lesson. It’d take a bit of work to get it just right. He’d have to put some real thought it in. The last time he’d tried to teach them a lesson he’d failed spectacularly. This time he’d have to put a bit more thought into it.

This was going to be so much fun.


	2. Chapter 2

Spencer did eventually end up falling asleep in the rather opulent bedroom that he’d woken up in earlier. He’d spent a while lying in bed first with his brain running in circles as he tried to process everything that had happened and everything he’d been told. Finding out about angels had been hard enough. Finding out that he was part angel had been even harder. But this? Everything that Gabriel had told him? It was too much. Add in that he was hearing it all from the mouth of the _Messenger_ and Spencer just needed time to think. He just needed time to relax and let it all settle in somewhere inside of his brain. Spencer had always thought he’d done his best work under extreme pressure, but these past few days had truly put him to the test on that.

He hadn’t planned on actually sleeping but his body was still very much recovering and it gave him no choice.

However, sleep seemed to help. When Spencer woke up again he found himself just a bit more relaxed than before. All of his thoughts didn’t seem to be fighting against one another to be noticed and they weren’t banging around against the inside of his skull. They were still there, the sheer amount of information that he’d been given still slightly overloaded, but there was a bit more room now. Room to think rationally and logically.

Lying in the large, opulent bed, which felt amazingly better than any bed he’d ever been in, Spencer stared up at the skylight and let his thoughts try to finally put themselves in some sort of order.

Putting the idea of the ‘apocalypse’ into perspective wasn’t easy, but it was the easiest by far out of everything he’d discovered. Which, really, was rather strange considering he’d never been the religious type. He knew demons existed, though. Didn’t it make sense that there was an opposite to them? Besides, it was hard to deny what he’d seen with his own eyes. Castiel, Gabriel – their _wings_. Their _grace_. He’d seen them both. How could he deny their existence?

Once Spencer reconciled those, coming to terms with the idea that the apocalypse was coming was much easier and at the same time much more terrifying.

For the moment, he pushed that little revelation to the back of his head. He didn’t know if he could think about that. Not right now. Not when there was nothing he could currently do.

The hardest part was coming to terms with discovering who _he_ was. For so long Spencer had lived without a name for what he was. He’d just known that he was different. That he was something _other_. Never once had it occurred to him that he’d be the child of an angel. Or, if Gabriel were really to be believed, _two_ angels. Two angels in human vessels. That meant...that meant his mother had been possessed at some point. That thought had Spencer's whole body going tense. Sam and Dean’s brief explanations had made it sound like angelic possession could be harder on a vessel than demonic possession in some ways. Had they _damaged_ her? Whoever had been inside his mother, had they hurt her? Could they…were they the reason she was so ill?

Spencer brought his hands up and pressed them in against his eyes. Dammit, he didn’t need to think like this. That kind of thought was going to get him nowhere except for more upset or more angry. Neither emotion was going to do any good. What he needed to do was stop lying here and moping. What did it matter if the apocalypse was going on, if he was some weird angel-fledgling _thing_? So long as he was trapped here with a brand new captor, what did any of it matter? He could think about it all once he was _free._ Until then, he needed to push everything else back. He could deal with it later.

With that firm resolve in mind, Spencer finally pushed himself up out of bed and focused on the world around him. He tried to ignore the weakness he still felt in his body. It was already less than it had been, and nothing compared to the way he’d felt in that prison.

A shiver ran down Spencer's spine. He didn’t want to think about that room—ever. It was something he knew was going to give him nightmares for a long, long time.

His careful search of the room yielded no weapons of any sort hidden away. However, he did find a dresser full of clothes that looked to be about his size. He wasn’t quite sure if he found that disturbing or not.

The other door, the one that didn’t lead out of the room, he discovered led him to a bathroom that was just as opulent as the bedroom. It had a big Jacuzzi tub raised up on one far side of it, with windows and a skylight that would allow him to look outside while at a level that would keep people from looking _inside_. Near that was a stall with a shower inside that looked beyond wonderful. Spencer had to fight back the urge to climb right in and scrub himself clean. Right now he needed to focus.

Nothing on any of Spencer's senses told him that there was anyone nearby. Not that he was going to rely on that. Gabriel had kept his wings and grace hidden from him before. What’s to say he couldn’t mask his presence entirely? With that in mind, Spencer was very careful and as quiet as he could be as he crept from his room.

He needn’t have bothered. When he reached the downstairs, he found a note sitting on the bar where he’d eaten breakfast earlier. He picked it up and found a message from Gabriel written in a fancy, scrawling script that, oddly enough, seemed to suit the being…man…whatever he was.

_Went to go check a few things. Make yourself at home – G_

So apparently his senses were right – he was alone here. Spencer wasn’t stupid enough to waste that opportunity. Though the light inside of him seemed to almost protest to that, twisting in a way that was nauseating, the young genius ignored the part of him that was telling him to stay and he quickly made his way over to the door. No matter that Gabriel had saved him from the last place he’d been. Spencer wasn’t going to stay with anyone. He wanted to go home.

* * *

Two hours later it was a much more subdued Spencer that returned to the only house he’d been able to find on this entire island.

There’d been nothing else out there. Spencer was still stunned even as he dragged himself, aching and sweaty, up to his bedroom. Nothing but water and sand and a small forest that, really, wasn’t all that large. It mostly worked as a backdrop for the home here. The island itself was barely anything at all. Just enough for this grand house here, the forest behind it, and the beaches. There was nothing and no one else for miles that Spencer had been able to see or feel. There hadn’t even been a boat! Nothing. Just, this. He was trapped here.

He took a quick shower, after making sure that the bathroom door was locked shut. Not that he thought a lock would keep out an archangel.

When he was clean and dressed once more, wearing a simple pair of khaki colored linen pants and the matching white linen shirt that he’d found in one of the drawers, he slipped on clean socks and his shoes and then made his way back downstairs. The clothes felt sort of strange, loose and kind of breezy, but they were suited to the warm climate around him and they were cleaner than what he’d been wearing.

Spencer hadn’t taken the time to look around downstairs once he’d found that note earlier. He did now and he discovered a tray sitting on the counter. On the tray was a covered dish that he found, on closer inspection, hid a plate of somehow still perfectly chilled fruits. Spencer stared at it for a long moment and debated whether or not he wanted it. His stomach rumbled, voicing an opinion, and his traitorous light still seemed way to creepily fond of Gabriel and pretty much anything he said or did. It made him want to be contrary. He wanted to ignore the food, ignore any signs of kindness from this being. He didn’t want to become dependent on him. He didn’t want to _like_ him. Gabriel might’ve saved him from that iron prison, and for that Spencer could only be grateful, and he might’ve even brought him here and started giving him answers, but that didn’t take away from the fact that he’d brought him to what was essentially a remote, deserted island with no other life here and absolutely no way out. Spencer was just as trapped here as he’d been in that room, only here he got the illusion of safety to go with it.

But Spencer had made his decision earlier when he’d eaten a bit with Gabriel. Denying himself food wasn’t the smart idea here. Especially not with him still recovering – a recovery that hadn’t been made better by his wandering around the island. Reluctantly, Spencer helped himself to some of the fruit.

Of course, it had to be some of the most delicious fruit he’d ever eaten.

As he munched on a bit of the food, Spencer decided that it was time to do a better inspection downstairs, before Gabriel returned from wherever and whatever he was doing. Looking around down here provided him with the same lack of weapons, though. Not that he really thought he’d stand a chance with any kind of weapon against an angel. _Archangel_ , his mind corrected. Most supernatural things could only be hurt with something specific. Spencer had a feeling that held true for archangels as well.

He did find other interesting things here, though. Nothing personal. No photos, no signs of anything like that. The place was rather simplistic in its designs. Something made more for a relaxed getaway than a _home_. But against one wall he found a bookshelf full of books he’d never even seen before. Fantasy books, historical books, classics, and books on the supernatural.

It was those last ones that Spencer settled on. With the tray of food set onto a small table, and a stack of books ready to go, Spencer sank down onto an extremely comfortable chaise lounge and pulled the first book off the stack. If he was going to be trapped here, he might as well entertain himself _and_ gather information.

* * *

Hours later he’d worked through quite a few of the books. There was a stack beside him still waiting to be read, but he’d also accumulated a stack of finished ones. He was halfway through his current book when he heard a low chuckle and then a warm voice saying “Well I see someone’s been busy.”

Brown eyes shot up quickly to find Gabriel standing a few feet away, leaning against the wall and watching him with a smirk on his lips. Spencer couldn’t quite hide his surprise. How on earth had Gabriel arrived without him knowing about it? It had to have something to do with some shields he had over him. Once more his wings and grace were hidden from sight as well.

Almost the instant he had that thought, he saw Gabriel give a little shrug, like he was shrugging something off, and then his shields just fell away and Spencer could see the grace packed inside the vessel, and those beautiful wings came arching up from his back once more. It was a beautiful sight to see. Even with everything going on, all the conflicting emotions he felt towards his current captor, he couldn’t deny the beauty of him. Like this, it was easier to believe that he was an archangel. Spencer could see it.

Gabriel’s smirk grew into a grin. “Been a long time since someone looked at me like that.” He said teasingly. Immediately, Spencer dropped his gaze, a blush warming his cheeks. Seeing it, Gabriel laughed low and warm. He strolled forward and sat himself down in a chair opposite Spencer. Well, more like sprawled. He had one leg thrown over the armrest and let it dangle there, kicking lightly, as he pulled a bag of what looked to be Skittles from his pocket. It was startling and kind of creepy for Spencer to see as Gabriel’s wings just sort of…went through the chair. It was like, even though Spencer could see them, they somehow weren’t all the way there, passing through the solid object like it was nothing.

With the hand holding the bag, Gabriel gestured towards the stack of books near Spencer's feet. “I’m guessing those are the ones you’ve already read?”

Spencer nodded, his blush deepening at the appraising look Gabriel gave him. “I like to read.” There was a hint of defensiveness in his voice that he couldn’t quite help there.

“I can tell.” Gabriel said dryly. He opened up the bag and poured a few Skittles into his hand.

Watching him, Spencer closed the book that he held. “There wasn’t much else to do, anyways.”

“Yeah. Sorry about that, kiddo. I had a bit of business to take care of.”

“Spencer.” The young genius blurted out. When Gabriel lifted his eyebrows in a surprised look, Spencer shuffled a bit in his seat and looked away briefly before gathering his courage and looking back. He met Gabriel’s eyes and sat up straighter in his seat. “SSA Dr. Spencer Reid. But, um, most people just call me Reid.” His training had kicked in enough to remind him that humanizing himself to his captor was always a good thing. Make them see you as human, as a person, not as a thing or as whatever fantasized creation they’d come up with. Sometimes it could make it harder for them to do whatever it was they wanted to do. And here, where there was no one around to stop anything from happening, the possibilities of what Gabriel could do were endless and terrifying.

Something briefly passed over Gabriel’s face. His wings, which still sort of creeped him out to see how they were entirely unaffected by the solid objects that should’ve constrained them, drew in for just a moment before spreading back out almost lazily. “You’re a federal agent?”

“I am. I’m part of the Behavioral Analysis Unit.” There was only a moment’s hesitation before he tacked on, “I was on leave when I ran into the Winchesters, but my team will be expecting me to return soon.” Not entirely true, of course. They wouldn’t be expecting him yet. But eventually they would. And when he didn’t return, they’d look for him. He knew that. They’d look everywhere. They just wouldn’t have any idea that they should be looking out in the middle of the _Bermuda Triangle_.

Gabriel didn’t comment on that. They both knew that there was no way Spencer would be found here. Instead, he focused on something else. “And you’re a doctor, too? What kind of doctor?”

That was a surprising question. Spencer couldn’t recall the last time someone had asked what kind of doctor he was and not just assumed that it was something to do with medicine. “Does it matter?”

“I’m curious. Humor me.”

What harm could come from the small bit of information? He knew Spencer's name now. It wouldn’t be hard to look him up. “I have three doctorates. Mathematics, chemistry and engineering. I also have B.A.’s in psychology, sociology and philosophy.”

“Wow.” Gabriel let out a low whistle and his expression was dutifully impressed. “That’s quite a collection of degrees there, kiddo.”

For a moment Spencer stared at the being across from him. Gabriel wasn’t…he didn’t quite make sense. He wasn’t what Spencer expected him to be. It was startlingly easy to sit here and talk to him and just, talk. Spencer had to remind himself that this man was holding him here. That he was, essentially, yet another captor. No matter how nice he was or how prettily it was all dressed up, that’s what he was.

Something must’ve shown on his face because Gabriel was looking at him now with something that seemed to be a cross between worry and resignation, all covered with a mask of amusement. “You don’t trust me.” He said bluntly.

There was no way Spencer could answer that except honestly. “No.”

“I’m trying to help you.”

Spencer shrugged his shoulder and carefully set his closed book down on the stack, avoiding looking over at the archangel. “Funny enough, that’s what I keep hearing. Yet somehow I keep ending up a prisoner.”

“You’re not a prisoner here.”

“A cage is still a cage, no matter how fancy the bars.” Spencer folded his hands in his lap and drew his knees up a bit more towards his chest. “Yours is nicer than the last one that I was in, but no less restrictive. I’m trapped on this island the same as I was locked in that room.”

Some of the amusement was gone from Gabriel’s face now. He sat up a little more in his chair, a bit more serious as his amber eyes met Spencer's. “Spencer, I meant it when I said you’re not a prisoner here. I brought you here to heal and to learn how to control your grace, not to keep you hostage.”

“They said the same thing.” Fighting back the nausea in his stomach, Spencer clenched his hands tightly where Gabriel couldn’t see them and tried to keep as calm as possible. “They said they wanted to help, that they were going to put some sigils on my ribs to hide me, and I was stupid enough to trust them. To trust an angel to keep his word. The next thing I know I’m being knocked out and waking up in that, _place_.” A shiver ran down his spine. “And they kept me in there for _days_ while their angel tried to find a way to leash the dangerous nephilim, all the while telling me it was to keep me safe so _Lucifer_ couldn’t use me.” Never mind that he would’ve stayed of his own free will if they’d just given him the choice.

“Spencer…” Gabriel looked like his heart was breaking as he watched Spencer. His wings were curling forward, almost like they were trying to reach out to him, and Spencer could feel the ache coming off him. “I’m sorry your first experience with angels had to be such a damn bad thing and I know you’ve got no reason to trust a damn thing I’ve got to say. I get that. Trust takes time, and I swear to Dad I’ll find a way to earn it. But I really did bring you here to help you, not to hurt you. You need help learning control and way out here, there’s no one that can be bothered by our practice and there’s the right kind of wards to keep you hidden _without_ taking your grace from you.”

“You really want to teach me?” Spencer asked him. “Not just…just control me. But actually teach me to use what I have.”

“Yes.” Gabriel answered immediately. “And I can do some of it without ever having to touch you, either. I can keep my grace to myself until you’re comfortable with it. For now, I’ll show you the things that I can teach you with just my words.” His look turned to something just a little sad and a little soft. “Maybe once we do those, you’ll feel a little more comfortable.”

For some reason Spencer found himself dropping his gaze down and away from Gabriel at that remark. It took him a second to realize that he was embarrassed. _Embarrassed_! Because he didn’t trust his _captor_! Why on earth should he feel embarrassed about that? Pushing that down, he tried to lift his chin and pretend like he was more confident and in control than he actually was. If Gabriel was willing to teach him then Spencer wasn’t going to be stupid enough to turn it down. “Please.” He said, meeting Gabriel’s eyes and not flinching back. “Teach me.”

The Skittles bag vanished from Gabriel’s hand and the archangel pushed himself up from the chair with one easy move. He smiled down at Spencer and held out a hand. “C’mon, kid. Let’s go somewhere a bit more open for this.”

Spencer stared at his hand for a long moment. Then, drawing in a careful breath, he firmed his resolve. Learning didn’t mean that he had to actively trust this being. He would take what he taught him and pay close attention to each lesson. As for trust – whether he’d earn that would remain to be seen. Spencer uncurled himself and placed his hand in Gabriel’s smaller one.

He tried to ignore how happily his grace leapt at the contact.

* * *

They ended up outside on the beach together. Gabriel claimed that it was easier for what they were going to do if they were outside and closer to nature. “A lot of this is going to come a whole lot easier once we can get you squared away with that part of yourself.” He told Spencer as they settled down on a patch of sand. “Right now, it’s reacting to your wants and needs and causing little minor miracles here and there.”

“So what do I do?” Spencer asked. He crossed his legs, facing the ocean like Gabriel had directed, while the archangel settled in beside him.

“If we were home, it wouldn’t be a problem. Most fledglings don’t have to learn how to rein themselves in because there’s nothing they can do up there to cause damage, and there’s always an angel watching.”

“Like you’ve been doing for me.” He’d noticed how calm his grace was in Gabriel’s presence and had figured it was something the archangel was doing.

“Exactly.” Gabriel beamed brightly at him. “Now, I’m assuming you’d like to see the mainland some time this century and not just be stuck here, with me, so we’re gonna have to do things a bit differently than normal.”

What came next was one of the strangest lessons that Spencer had ever been through in his life. It was almost like an exercise in meditation. True to his word, Gabriel never once reached out for Spencer with his grace. He kept space between them as well so that they weren’t touching. Not even with his wings did he touch Spencer, though the young genius could feel them up behind them like some sort of protective shield that actually left him feeling a bit more relaxed. He chose not to think about why that was.

It was amazingly easy for Spencer to meditate down and find that place inside of himself where his grace and soul were centered. He’d always been aware of his light on some level or another. Having a name for it and words to put to what he did only made the whole process a little easier. Nothing in Spencer's life had ever felt as good as when he stopped trying to hold back his grace and just let himself bask in it. Later, he would admit to himself that the only thing that kept him grounded in his body, that kept him from just letting his grace go however it wanted, was the anchor of Gabriel’s smooth voice talking him through it all.

The archangel didn’t teach him to just find his grace, though. He told him about how it worked. How using it could deplete it, just like any other energy source. “Grace is simply another form of energy, if you really boil it down. That’s such a simplistic description but it works right now for our purposes. And like any energy, it can get drained if you use it too much. Usually, you’d be plugged into the home office and that would help you get all the juice you need, and you’d only have to tap into your soul power as a last resort or to bolster what you’re doing. But right now, touching home isn’t the smartest plan. So, I’m gonna teach you how to recharge yourself using the glory of Dad in the things around us.” Pausing, Gabriel huffed out a laugh and shook his head. “Wow, I sound like an ass.”

There on that beach, Spencer learned not only how to connect with who he really was, but how to always keep that light burning brightly no matter where he was or what was going on around him. In just a few short hours Gabriel gave Spencer access and a sense of control over himself in a way he never had before. Facts and information had always been important to Spencer and there’d been a part of him that was just a bit scared of this part of himself over the years because he’d never known how it worked, what it could do or what might happen. Gabriel gave him that understanding. He talked Spencer through it all and never once hesitated to answer any question that Spencer put to him.

By the time the sun was setting on the horizon, Spencer felt both rejuvenated and yet utterly exhausted. It must’ve showed because Gabriel smiled at him and called a halt to their lessons for the day. “That’s plenty enough for one day, squirt. Let’s give some of it time to sink in a bit and let your body rest. For now, why don’t we go inside and get something to eat? I’m sure you’re starving by now.”

He was, actually. His stomach rumbled it’s agreement, making Spencer blush and Gabriel laugh.

The two were halfway back to the house before Spencer spoke again. “Thank you.” He said softly, not looking over at the man beside him. Gabriel had kept his word today. He’d helped Spencer, taught him, walked him through it all without ever touching him or trying to force him to do anything. He’d done exactly what he’d said he would, he’d helped Spencer, and the young genius felt himself softening just the slightest bit.

He could feel the way Gabriel’s grace warmed at his words. “You’re more than welcome, kiddo. It’s my pleasure.”

Together, the two made their way inside. Maybe, just maybe, things were looking up. Maybe. Only time would tell. But for now, Spencer felt a small bit of hope that things might really be okay.


	3. Chapter 3

Their first lesson seemed to set the tone for the next few days. The two fell into a routine there at Gabriel’s little beach hideaway. Each morning Spencer joined the archangel for breakfast, where Gabriel displayed a sweet tooth unlike any Spencer had ever seen, and then the two would separate for a while. Gabriel would go do whatever it was that archangels turned tricksters did and Spencer would work through more of Gabriel’s books. There were quite a few in there and Gabriel seemed to have no issue replacing the ones Spencer had read with new ones. He even put a series up there that he called the Winchester Gospels that he’d grinned and insisted Spencer read.

Then in the afternoon, after lunch, Gabriel would return and the two would spend most of the afternoon, breaking for dinner, and part of the evening in ‘training’ on how to use and control his grace. Spencer found himself softening towards Gabriel more and more as time passed and it scared him a little, yet it was wonderful as well. To learn about this part of himself, it was just…it was so much. He was learning not just about his grace and how to use it, but about Heaven and angels in general. Gabriel shared stories with him of times gone past, of a Heaven that had once been glorious. Even as it would make the archangel’s eyes sad, he’d tell Spencer stories of what his home had once been like, back before the wars. It was like he was trying to give Spencer the history that, according to him, all angels had from birth.

“I could share it all with you, grace to grace.” He told Spencer on his third day there. “But, it’s nice telling stories. It’s been a long time since I sat and remembered.”

They hadn’t really shared grace yet, the two of them. Gabriel taught him everything he could by word alone. It wasn’t until the fifth day there that Spencer finally let Gabriel’s grace touch him, even just the slightest bit.

It was during their lunch when Spencer was shifting yet again on his seat in an effort to get more comfortable. The backache that he felt like he lived with almost constantly was bugging him a little more than normal and nothing he did seemed to ease it. The warm shower that morning had helped, a little. But he just _ached_. It didn’t take long for Gabriel to notice it and to call him out on it. “You got ants in your pants there, kiddo, or you just feel like dancing all around your seat?”

“What?” Spencer looked up to find the archangel watching him with a bemused expression on his face. Even in their short time together he’d learned that Gabriel found amusement in almost everything. No matter the situation, it was normal to see the trickster archangel greet it with a smile, a smirk, or a laugh.

Snorting, Gabriel gestured with his fork towards Spencer. “ _That_. You keep wiggling like that and you’re gonna fall right outta your chair. What’s up?”

He realized what Gabriel was talking about and he found himself flushing. _Again_. “It’s nothing. Just a backache, that’s all.”

“You get those often?”

No, he really didn’t. Or, he hadn’t. Spencer shrugged one shoulder and pushed a bit of food around his plate. When he looked up, he was surprised to find Gabriel watching him with an uncharacteristically serious look on his face. “Spencer,” The use of his actual name had Spencer sitting up just a little straighter, despite the wince he gave at the movement. Gabriel noted it and his expression turned a little more serious. “I know you don’t like the idea of grace touching you, but…I think I might know what’s going on. I just, can’t confirm it without my grace touching yours.”

There was no way Spencer could stop that instinctive flinch that he gave.

Could he trust him? So far, Gabriel hadn’t hurt him. He’d helped him just as he’d promised he would. He was giving Spencer control with each passing day. He hadn’t pushed for them to do anything that made Spencer uncomfortable and he’d been respectful of every single boundary that Spencer put up. But had that all been a ruse? A trick of some sort to get him complacent? Spencer had tried to think about this every way possible when he was lying in bed at night. What would Gabriel hope to gain here? What could his possible ulterior motives be? So far, Spencer hadn’t found any. And he couldn’t really find any now. There was nothing that he could see that Gabriel would gain from this. He’d already taught Spencer how to shield himself and hide his grace. If the archangel tried anything, Spencer could always try that. It might not work but it was worth a try. But, really, he already had Spencer here on is island, away from anyone. If he wanted to do something to Spencer he could’ve just forced it on him already instead of waiting days and then using a backache as an excuse to trick him.

The young genius looked up at him carefully and found Gabriel still watching him. He’d given Spencer plenty of time to think and hadn’t interrupted his thoughts.

Spencer hoped he wasn’t about to make a giant mistake. However, trust had to start somewhere, and the pain in his back was getting steadily worse. If it was something Gabriel could help with, Spencer would be a fool not to take him up on it. “Okay.” His voice was whisper soft. Gabriel heard him, though. He always seemed to hear him.

The archangel rose from his chair and moved to stand behind Spencer. He must’ve been able to see how tense he was because he was extremely gentle as he laid his hand between Spencer's shoulder blades. “I’ll keep this as light as possible, kiddo. Just, breathe for me and let me know if I’m hurting you.” The next moment there was the feel of Gabriel’s grace reaching for him _through_ his hand and into Spencer's back.

What startled Spencer the most was how much his own grace leapt into that touch. Only by sheer force of will did Spencer keep his grace from trying to wrap around Gabriel’s like some weird equivalent of a hug, if two lights could even manage to hug, that is. He held himself still and paid close attention as he felt Gabriel’s grace press all along his back like a warm, soothing waterfall. The touch was only brief. There for just a few moments and then pulling back. Spencer was stunned to find himself almost reaching out to try and draw it back. It had felt, wonderful. Amazing. _Like home_ , a traitorous voice in his head whispered.

The whole thing took not even a minute. Then Gabriel was moving back around him and dropping back into his chair. His eyes fixed right on Spencer's face and there was a smile on his lips. An honest one, without any trace of mockery. “Well, I was right.” His smile grew a little wider. “Your wings are growing in.”

“My…my _wings_?” Was he serious? Was he actually being serious here, or was this some sort of prank of his?

“Yep!” Seeing the look on Spencer's face, Gabriel chuckled. “Don’t look so gobsmacked, little bird. You’re a fledgling. It’s what fledglings do – they grow. We would’ve seen em before now if we were back home. But since you’re in a vessel, they’re all tucked and hidden inside, just a-growing away. Your backache is because your body can feel the growth in grace and it’s being pushed at from the inside.”

That was, vaguely disturbing. And a bit worrisome. Spencer's mind whirled as he processed the fact that he was going to have _wings_. Wings! Would they be like Gabriel’s and Castiel’s, visible only to him and other angels? Would he be able to hide them the way that Gabriel did? Most importantly – how on earth were they going to get out? If his wings were growing and pushing against his back, causing his backache, that meant that they couldn’t just pass through his skin on their own. So how were they going to get out? Eyes wide, he asked Gabriel just that.

The trickster didn’t even bat an eye, didn’t show any outward signs of worry, though Spencer watched him carefully. He looked just as calm and amused as before as he answered him. “Don’t worry. By the time they’re ready to come out, I’ll help you. You really think I’d just leave you alone for it?” He grinned and leaned forward, picking up his own fork again. “I’d say another couple weeks. A month, maybe. Then we’ll get to bust those bad boys out. Then we’ll start the really fun lessons – _flying_.”

Spencer found a soft smile curving his own lips at that. What kid didn’t at one point dream about being able to fly?

“Hopefully you have more grace in your wings than you do on two feet.” Gabriel teased him.

The young genius didn’t think about his response. He reacted the same as he would’ve if it were Derek here teasing him. Rolling his eyes, he kicked out lightly, meaning to just nudge Gabriel’s leg as he told him “Shut up.” Unfortunately, he had the absolute worst kind of luck and the world seemed to want to help prove Gabriel’s point. He overshot his kick a little and the only thing that kept him from tumbling out of his chair was the hand that Gabriel shot out, catching his shoulder and keeping him from pitching forward.

The musical sound of Gabriel’s laughter echoed around them. Even as Spencer blushed in embarrassment, he couldn’t help the small smile.

* * *

It wasn’t just Spencer who was enjoying their time together. For Gabriel, it was an amazing time as well. This was the closest to home that Gabriel had felt in a long, long time. Longer than humans could measure. He’d been cut off from his family for so long now, going deep to hide from them, that this little touch of home was the most amazing thing for him. It also brought a long for home that was almost overwhelming.

This little fledgling, so eager to learn and so utterly sweet, made his grace ache sometimes. It reminded the lost archangel of the home he’d once had and the life he’d once lived. It hadn’t all been bad. There’d been good there. For a while, they’d been happy. Heaven had once been the paradise that it was still referred to as. There’d been glory and beauty and so much love. They’d been a family in the truest sense of the word and Gabriel had been happy. Until it had all broken apart.

Seeing Spencer now, watching him learn and grow and flourish under all this, coming into himself, was a reminder of that better time. Having that reminder was hard at some times.

What was even worse was looking at this little, eager fledgling and knowing what was to come.

Gabriel wasn’t a fool. He’d known what it meant from the instant that he’d really looked at Spencer and figured out what he was. So far he’d managed to push those thoughts to the back of his mind and pretend that they didn’t exist. They were drifting up to him now, though, and refusing to be ignored. He knew what Spencer's existence heralded. What it meant for them now, for the Apocalypse, but more importantly – what it meant for their future.

The archangel let out a sigh and shook his head, trying to chase away those thoughts once more. _One problem at a time_. The rest could be dealt with when the apocalypse was over. Right now, he had to figure out how to deal with _this_ problem. Or, more accurately, he had to work up the courage to deal with it. He knew what he had to do. What he didn’t know was if it was going to work.

The heaviness of his thoughts was part of what had brought him out here to the porch of his island home. Spencer was inside probably still finishing off the dinner that Gabriel had sent him in for a while ago.

They’d been here for five days now and they were getting along a lot better than when they’d started but Spencer was still hesitant and careful around him. Gabriel hadn’t wanted to push his luck with the kid and worry him by forcing him to deal with the worry that had settled on Gabriel’s shoulders. So, when their lessons were done, he’d sent Spencer in to eat alone instead of joining him, and he’d stayed out here to think and, well, sulk. That’s what he’d been doing for almost an hour now. Perched on the top step of the stairs that led down to the sand, he’d just been sitting here and thinking as he stared out blindly at the water.

He was still lost in thought when he felt the glow of Spencer's grace, a presence he’d grown so accustomed to sensing, start to come his way. A moment later he heard the kid’s footsteps. There was hesitance easy to hear in every single step and it was almost coming off the kid in waves. But he came right outside and, after just a small pause, he moved to sit down on the stairs as well. It didn’t escape Gabriel’s notice that he took a seat two steps below, putting him just slightly lower than the archangel. Whether that was deliberate or instinctive, he wasn’t quite sure.

For a little bit neither one of them said anything. The only sounds were the wind and the crashing of the water on the shore. However, as Gabriel discreetly watched the little one beside him, he could see the debate on Spencer's face, the way he drew his bottom lip in between his teeth as if thinking carefully about what he was going to say. It reminded Gabriel abruptly of a slightly nervous Jor, back when his son had been small and young and they’d used to sit together and talk. Jor would do the same exact thing as Spencer was doing now, chewing on his bottom lip as he tried to find the words or the courage to say what he wanted. Unlike Jor, Spencer didn’t relax, though. He just grew more tense. Apparently Gabriel wasn’t the only one who’d been doing some thinking tonight. Spencer looked like he’d done some deep thinking. Figuring out what was going on would’ve been easy. A simple peek inside the kid’s head. Gabriel tried not to do that, though. He wanted to give Spencer some semblance of privacy.

It took a few before Gabriel could feel as Spencer's resolve to speak firmed. He stopped chewing on his lip but the lines of his body stayed tense as he stared down at his hands. “We…we need to talk, Gabriel.”

“Well that doesn’t sound ominous at all.” Gabriel said dryly. “What’s up, buttercup?”

The nickname had Spencer wrinkling his nose in a way that Gabriel was tempted to tease him about. It made him look years younger and ridiculously adorable. But then Spencer opened his mouth and Gabriel was too busy being stunned by the words that came pouring out. “I’ve been thinking and, things…things need to change. We can’t keep going on like this. I appreciate so much what you’re teaching me, Gabriel, but I can’t, this isn’t… we can’t keep going like this. The part of me that’s a profiler says that I absolutely shouldn’t trust you. I know all the facts and statistics about Stockholm Syndrome and I know how easily all of that could be applied to our situation.”

Eyebrows rising, Gabriel sat back, not quite sure what to say except, “Wow.”

He watched the little fledgling flinch. Still, Spencer didn’t turn towards him. “I’m sorry. But you, you have to understand the parallels here. You’ve taken me somewhere isolated and set yourself up as my only point of contact. I have to rely on you for food, for shelter, for anything that I might need. I can’t even go to the store to pick up my own deodorant. If I want it, I have to get it from you. Then, you give me most everything I could want, and you show me how to use these powers of mine. You’ve effectively made yourself the one positive, steady thing in my life at the moment, and that’s an effective way to force a trust that might not have otherwise formed.”

That was…he hadn’t really thought of it like that. The idea that the kid might really think he’d done this intentionally, as a way to force a trust between them, left Gabriel feeling vaguely sick. “That wasn’t my intention, Spencer.”

Brown eyes flicked up to him at the sound of his name, not a nickname, and then dropped back down. Then he nodded, ever so slightly. “I think I’m beginning to believe that. And that terrifies me, because I don’t know if that’s really me, or if that’s all of those things I mentioned making me feel that way. There’s something about you…my light—my grace…” he corrected himself, still so new to using that name for what had always just been a ‘light’ to him, “…wants to reach out to you. It always wants to reach out to you, all the time. You get close and I just, I want to trust. I want to lean on you and trust like I never have with anyone else. And that’s so terrifying, Gabriel.”

The fact that life had taught him that leaning on something was a scary or bad thing was one of those things that made Gabriel seethe. As he got to know Spencer he got to see more and more just how badly damaged the little fledgling was. How broken his trust was – not just in Gabriel, but in anyone. “There’s nothing wrong with leaning on someone.” That was a lesson he wanted to teach him, even if it was one that the archangel had a hard time remembering himself sometimes.

“I don’t think I’d even know how.” Spencer admitted quietly, which was so damn heartbreaking. The kid drew in a shaky breath and blew it back out, his shoulders squaring once more under a weight he shouldn’t have to carry. “If we want whatever this thing we’ve got going here to work out, this friendship or mentorship or whatever it is, we need to be able to trust each other.” He turned to look at Gabriel and for the first time he kept his gaze steady and didn’t flinch away from eye contact. “I can’t stay here, Gabriel. I need to go back.”

Well. It’d taken longer than Gabriel thought for the kid to finally say it. “I know.”

That clearly surprised him. “W-What?”

“I never planned on keeping you here, kiddo. I always planned on taking you back. Like I said, you’re not a prisoner. I won’t hold you hostage here. Besides,” He slanted Spencer a look and smirked at him. “If I’ve learned anything about you these couple days, it’s that you’re not the type to just sit on the sidelines. Something tells me you wanna go look those chuckleheads back up and join on Team Freedom’s bandwagon.” No matter how much the idea had Gabriel wanting to wrap up his fledgling and keep him locked away. He didn’t want to take Spencer back around the Winchesters. Hell, he didn’t want to take Spencer back into the real world. He wanted to keep him here, safe, where nothing could touch him. Not the Winchesters, not the idiots in Spencer's life who’d already hurt him, not the apocalypse, not the dark threat that sat on the distant horizon…He just wanted him safe.

Speaking of the Winchesters never failed to cause some kind of reaction. This time was no different. Gabriel watched Spencer's grace draw in a little and a shiver ran down the kid at the memories that assaulted him. He had an angel’s memory even if he hadn’t realized it. Eidetic, he called it, the human term for it. For Gabriel it was just how angels worked. They remembered everything. Over time, enough of it builds up that sometimes it takes a bit to remember something you know, but it’s all there, all accessible. Spencer had that. He had the memory and he had the ability to hold it all without going truly insane. Those memories could hurt, though. Just like these ones did.

One of Gabriel’s wings reached out before he could stop it and it curled lightly around the little fledgling just like he would’ve done for any other fledgling back home. It was a testament to how far they’d come in just these few days in that Spencer didn’t flinch or pull away. For one brief moment he actually leaned _into_ the wing. His grace calmed in response to the gentle soothing.

Spencer lifted a hand and brushed light fingers over some of the feathers in front of him. In response, Gabriel curled the wing a little more, draping it over Spencer's shoulder and down into his lap. He was rewarded with a delighted little shy smile. He continued to card his fingers through Gabriel’s feathers in a gesture that was more self-soothing than anything else. “I may not be happy with the Winchesters, but…I can’t just, I can’t sit back knowing that I can help. I can’t hide out here while people are out there dying and know that there’s something I could be doing about it.”

“You’re too good, Sparrow.” Gabriel murmured. He saw Spencer was about to protest and he used the wing around him to nudge him quiet. “Calm down. I’m not taking back what I said or anything like that. I said I’d take you back, and I will. But I’ve got a few conditions to it, kiddo.”

He couldn’t deny it was painful to watch the walls immediately slam up in Spencer's eyes. “Oh?”

Gabriel tried to keep his tone light as he lifted a hand up and ticked off his conditions. “One, we take a few more days just so I can be sure you’ve really got things under control before we unleash you on the general populace. You’re nowhere near trained and we’re definitely gonna have to keep working on it, every day, but I just want to make sure you’ve got control enough to make it each day.”

“Okay.” Spencer nodded his agreement easily to that.

“Two, you let me know if you start having troubles.”

He wasn’t going to budge on that one, not in the least, and Spencer must’ve been able to see that because he nodded to that one rather quickly as well. “All right.”

“And three.” This was the one he knew Spencer might not like too much. “I have a talk with the Terrible Trio before you go anywhere near them.” Sure enough, Spencer tensed up at that, mouth opening in immediate protest. Gabriel cut him off before he could say anything. “That one’s non-negotiable, kiddo. They screwed up, bad. Even if it was simple ignorance, they still screwed up, and I won’t let it happen again. They need to learn their lesson before I’ll feel safe letting you back around them.”

He could see how much Spencer wanted to bristle at the ‘letting’ part of that statement. However, he held it back and focused instead on a different part. “What kind of lesson?” He’d heard enough stories from Gabriel these past days to know that the word lesson hadn’t been an accidental choice. It had been very, very deliberate.

There was more of the Trickster to his grin in that moment than archangel. “Don’t worry, it won’t kill them.”

“That’s not entirely reassuring.”

“They’re going to get their lesson either way, bucko.” Gabriel folded his arms over his chest and smirked at him, one eyebrow up in a look that dared Spencer to contradict him on this. “I’m mostly just giving you the heads up that it’s going to happen before you go back around them, in the honor of trust here. If you don’t like it—sorry. This is one I aint budging on.”

Spencer watched him for a moment with a small frown on his lips and a furrow in his brow. Whatever he saw on Gabriel’s face or in his body or wing language had him shaking his head. “Not that I have much choice in the matter, but, I’ll accept your terms.” Then he shot Gabriel a look through his bangs that held just a hint of the sass that Gabriel had so far only seen a small hint of. “You have a lot to learn about compromise, though.”

A grin stretched Gabriel’s lips. “Kiddo, you’ve got no idea how big a deal it is I compromised even this much.”

To his surprise and delight, the fledgling let out a low laugh at that.

They settled in together a little more peacefully than before. Now that things were out in the open between them, and they both understood what was going on, they could both relax just the slightest bit.

Gabriel knew this was only the calm before the storm. There was so much that was waiting ahead of them. So many things that were coming their way. His eyes drifted to the young one that was slowly leaning into his wing, his weight getting a little heavier as his grace, soothed and comforted by the embrace of an archangel, pushed him towards sleep. _I’ll do everything I can to keep you safe_ , Gabriel promised silently.

He just hoped it was a promise he’d be able to keep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Up next is "Lessons Learned" and will show what our favorite archangel has to say to the "Terrible Trio"
> 
> Give me a few days to get it put together and then I'll have it out for you :)


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